Russian sports minister speaks of "strengthening Russia's authority" in the international arena, becoming a laughingstock online

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin became a laughingstock online after he claimed that the country's "strengthening of authority" in the world. According to the four-time Olympic champion, this was allegedly positively influenced by the Sochi 2014 Games.

"I believe that Sochi is a diamond in the crown of Russian sport, and this diamond shines because of the people. We are proud of the Sochi 2014 project and its legacy. And today we have the opportunity to compete at these venues. Most importantly, over the years, Russia has further strengthened its authority in the international arena, and we have proven that we are a self-sufficient country. We are ready to engage in a dialog with those who are our friends. I wish us more victories," Matytsin told the R-Sport news agency.

The readers of Sports.ru openly insulted the official. They reminded him that the Sochi Games were the beginning of a major doping scandal with Russia and that many countries are now reluctant to compete or even welcome Russian representatives to tournaments.

"The successes are obvious: we are holding our own games instead of the Olympics", "And why exactly were the authorities banned from using the flag and anthem?", "Russia's authority in the international arena has been strengthened so much that no one wants to compete with us or even shake hands with us.", "They strengthened their authority so much that they went to the next Winter Olympics under the name OAR and ROC under a white flag.", "I don't understand: is he delusional or what?", "Now I know what a country that has strengthened its authority looks like. So much so that the whole world is disgusted," the comments read.

As a reminder, the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi exposed the state system of banned substances used by Russian athletes, which was recognized even by Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin. After reviewing the results of the Olympics, Russia was stripped of 11 medals.

As previously reported, the former head of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory, Grigory Rodchenkov, called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ban Russian symbols at the Olympics permanently.

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